NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Abingdon, VA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Abingdon, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Abingdon
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Abingdon; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Abingdon begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 39 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Abingdon. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 4 miles. Of the 25, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2017. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Abingdon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 10 times since 2005, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Abingdon.
Compare Abingdon's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Abingdon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Abingdon: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Abingdon
By decade
- 2010s9(1 EF3+)
- 2000s6
- 1990s3
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 4 mi | 19.63 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 11 mi | 8.4 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 25, 1975 | F2 | 13 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 3, 1962 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 2 mi | 3.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2002 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1998 | F1 | 15 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F1 | 18 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Abingdon
The Storm Prediction Center has 10 hail reports within 10 miles of Abingdon since 2005. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on April 27, 2011. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 3.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Abingdon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Abingdon 3S, VA, 3 miles southeast of Abingdon at 1,925 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 47.4 inches over 99 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. That 47.4 inches is more than at 77 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (71%). Glade Spring, 13 miles east, has its own station (Saltville 1N, VA): 48.2 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 24 | 3.8 | 9 |
| Feb | 48 | 27 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 4.5 | 10 |
| Apr | 68 | 41 | 4.4 | 9 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 4.4 | 10 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.3 | 9 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 57 | 33 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Year | 66 | 43 | 47.4 | 99 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Abingdon 3S, VA (1,925 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Abingdon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Abingdon: 99 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 7 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $770,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 12, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 9. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 55 have had fewer than Abingdon.
June 19, 2014: thunderstorm wind in Abingdon — 1 killed.
NWS: “Broadcast media personnel reported a pedestrian was struck by a falling tree in the 100 block of West Main street in Abingdon. The victim was a 56 year old at the time of the event.”
July 23, 2002: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Abingdon — 3 injured, $40,000 damage.
July 10, 2004: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Abingdon — 2 injured.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Abingdon's 2 ZIP codes have filed 30 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $690,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 13% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 68 have fewer than Abingdon.
Washington County, which includes Abingdon, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.4 million a year, the 43rd highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.5 million (69%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Abingdon
- Meadowview, VA9 mi
- Bristol, VA12 mi
- Glade Spring, VA13 mi
- Damascus, VA13 mi
- Lebanon, VA14 mi
- Bristol, TN14 mi
- Saltville, VA19 mi
- Chilhowie, VA19 mi
- Castlewood, VA20 mi
- Mountain City, TN20 mi
- Bluff City, TN21 mi
- Honaker, VA22 mi
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